The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is urging the Biden administration and Congress to reverse the growing trend of regulatory overreach, launching “Chemistry Creates, America Competes” to illustrate that American success relies on American chemistry.
The ACC warns that proposed restrictions could limit access to, and significantly increase the cost of, essential products, harming the U.S. economy, jeopardizing American competitiveness in the global market, and delaying progress for industries and sectors with urgent and growing needs.
According to the ACC, some of these proposed restrictions aim to outright ban certain chemistries or regulate them at such low levels that manufacturing becomes virtually impossible. These restrictions could have a detrimental impact on the supply chain for vital technologies and essential everyday products that families and businesses rely on, including semiconductors, renewable energy applications, and modern healthcare products, the ACC notes.
As part of “Chemistry Creates, America Competes,” the ACC and its members propose:
- The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) evaluate all significant rulemaking through the lens of potential impacts to the supply chain, trade, national security, energy, climate, healthcare, infrastructure, technology (e.g., chips/EVs) and more.
- Assigning someone to be inside the administration, preferably the White House, with economic expertise who can objectively assess the impact of proposed regulations on the supply chain and the ability to achieve national goals.
- Congress exercise its oversight authority and examine how overly conservative regulations could cut off access to products and technologies needed to support American-made energy, vehicles, infrastructure, healthcare, semiconductors and more.
- Congress consider legislation, if necessary, to improve the regulatory process, streamline permits, and focus regulations on more flexible, smart, science-based policy approaches.
The press release from the ACC outlines several proposals.